No. 3 field hockey blanks Towson, 6-0

The rain poured down unabated for much of last night, soaking the playing surface at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex and leaving many of the 212 in attendance searching for cover.

But almost nothing from above or in front of it could slow down a torrid Terrapins field hockey attack. The No. 3 Terps unleashed an offensive barrage against in-state rival Towson, scoring three first-half goals under a sometimes-constant rainfall en route to a decisive 6-0 victory. The team is now 27-0-2 against the Tigers, having won 24 straight in the series.

"I think the rain and the mist and everything from the beginning of the game really made the field just play beautifully," coach Missy Meharg said. "All in all, I thought we played consistently for 70 minutes, and that's what we're looking for."

The Terps' (13-2) six goals against Towson (8-8) last night matched their highest offensive output of the season, which they've reached five times in 15 games. The team got nearly all of its players involved, as six different Terps scored in the game. Forward Lindsey Puckett and midfielder Danielle Kauffman each netted their first goal of the season.

"We're starting to jell," Meharg said. "Having six different goal scorers is exciting and it's what we need right now."

"It was really special since it hasn't happened yet this year. It's a good feeling," Puckett said of her goal. "We had a lot of good energy coming out from everybody."

Perhaps more impressive than the six goals was the team's continued strong defensive play. The Tigers' offense had averaged 11.4 shots per game coming into last night's game, but the Terps' defense stifled their attack, holding it to just one shot in a shutout.

Another low-scoring effort from a Terps opponent pointed to a positive trend in the team's backline success. After allowing five goals on 14 shots in a loss to No. 1 Old Dominion this past Friday, the Terps have now allowed just one goal on eight shots in their past two games.

"Those are the statistics that we're looking for that show that we're organized back there and dominating," Meharg said. "You've got to fight for yourself, fight for your teammates and individual defense is the first step. … They've really made it personal."

"The defense really stepped up today," defender Hayley Turner said. "Communication-wise, it was just spot-on and this is what we've been working on. … It was just really good for it to finally come together."

The win tonight is another step forward for the Terps after their loss to the Lady Monarchs last week, but they will have little time to dwell on their victory. A tough matchup at No. 2 North Carolina awaits the team Saturday, but what the team learned against the Tigers last night will make the road trip with them.

"What we did [yesterday] is definitely what we're going to step up to UNC," Turner said. "Try to make it better and just keep building from it."

vitale@umdbk.com